Mitt Romney Is Over the Top On Barack Obama and Israel Some of Mitt Romney's campaign statements on foreign policy have been doozies, writes Aaron David Miller, but none seems to be more exaggerated than his assertion in Tampa that Obama has thrown Israel “under the bus.” Miller has been part of five administrations and says no American president has ever (or will ever) throw Israel under the bus. Israel
Egypt's Mohammed Morsi in Iran: Genius or Amateur? The NAM summit invitation was a catch-22 for Morsi. If he declined, it would have made a strong anti-Iran statement. Choosing to go, however, made Egypt’s neighbors and the US nervous. Ultimately, the Egyptian president went to Tehran, but spoke boldly against the Assad regime, a staunch Iranian ally. With that move, he made all parties both happy and unhappy. Egypt
Iran Parliament Speaker Dismisses Israeli Threats In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor's Barbara Slavin, Iran Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear installations would be "suicidal." The former chief Iranian nuclear negotiator also denied allegations that Iran has used a site called Parchin for nuclear work. Egypt
Report on Iran Nuclear Program: Situation Not Yet Hopeless The danger posed by Iran’s nuclear program is heightening incrementally, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Mark Fitzpatrick questions the wisdom of a war over a 10% increase in centrifuges. A proportionate response would be to increase the sanctions pressure on Iran, which has so far not made good use of diplomacy. Iran
In the New, Democratic Egypt, Copts Face Mounting Peril After seeing their hopes dashed that a democratic Egypt would respect the rights of minorities, the Coptic population of Egypt is threatened by regular physical violence and intimidation by Muslims, writes Moheb Zaki. Egypt
Egypt’s Morsi Upsets Iran The Egyptian president's visit to Iran has not pleased his hosts as much as expected, Al-Monitor's Barbara Slavin reports in Tehran. In a speech, Morsi highlighted the Syrian opposition’s struggle against the "oppressive system there," unnerving the Iranians, allies of the Syrian regime. Iranian newscasts omitted key bits in televised coverage. Iran
A No-Fly Zone in Syria? It's a Trap In the absence of conditions needed to implement a successful no-fly zone, as well as the “dangers of perpetual patrol,” the US and its allies should continue to avoid the no-fly zone trap and work with regional leaders and Syrian opposition groups in negotiating Assad’s fall. Syria
Iran's Foreign Minister Says Morsi Visit Is a 'Landmark' In an interview with Al-Monitor's Barbara Slavin on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi praised the presence of Egypt President Mohammed Morsi after decades of Iranian-Egyptian estrangement. Iran
From Tehran: Iran Using Summit To Showcase Victims, Friends As host of a summit of non-aligned countries, Iran hopes to prove that it has more friends than enemies at a time of multiplying sanctions and Israeli threats to attack its nuclear installations, writes Barbara Slavin from Tehran. One test of the conference's success from Iran’s point of view is how many heads of state actually show up. Iran
In Lebanon, City Fights Syrian Proxy Battle Over the past year, fighting has increased between Lebanon's Alawite fighters, who support Syrian President Assad's regime, and Sunni militias that support Syria’s rebels. In two neighborhoods of coastal city Tripoli, the factions increasingly see themselves as part of Syria’s worsening conflict. Josh Wood reports for Al-Monitor. Lebanon
Eric Cantor Tied to Rabbi Whose Aide Is at Center of Probe An influential rabbi whose former aide is embroiled in a campaign finance investigation has ties to one of the most powerful members of Congress, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, according to interviews and an examination of campaign filings by Al-Monitor's Laura Rozen. Originals
Maligned Non-Aligned Summit May Score Iran Some Points The upcoming Non-Aligned Movement conference in Tehran is an opportunity for Iran to score diplomatic, economic and domestic political points, writes Meir Javedanfar. Future political careers could benefit as well, namely those of Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. Iran
US Scholars: Designate Israeli Extremists as Terrorists Two prominent US Middle East scholars are urging the US to officially designate as terrorists Israeli extremists who perpetrate violence against Palestinian and Israeli citizens — even moderate elements of the settler movement, writes Al-Monitor's Laura Rozen. A recent spate of attacks sparked the call, which would prevent US funding for such groups. Palestine
Palestinian Street Artists Take to Walls With New Zeal Walls in Palestine have sported "Free Palestine” for decades. But recently, inspired by the Arab Spring and the region's growing art scene, Palestinians have stepped up their creative game. Lena Odgaard talks to artists and activists about the significant increase of political street art in Ramallah. See photos of the tags, murals and slogans. Palestine
The Risk of Syria's Chemical Weapons Unconventional weapons must be a top international priority, writes Mark Fitzpatrick. The risk of Syria’s chemical weapons being used is very real, and the prospect of them falling into the wrong hands is even more so, given the degree to which the stockpiles are dispersed and the number of fighters in Syria with links to al-Qaeda and other radical groups. Syria
Why the White House Is Giving Blanket OK For Earthquake Aid to Iran More than a week after two earthquakes hit Iran, the US Treasury Department has issued a “temporary general license” that will permit American nongovernmental organizations to send up to $300,000 to Iran for humanitarian relief and reconstruction over the next 45 days. Barbara Slavin reports for Al-Monitor. Iran
